The Impact of Clinical Pharmacist in the Identification and Management of Treatment Related Problems in the Surgery Ward

The Impact of Clinical Pharmacist in the Identification and Management of Treatment Related Problems in the Surgery Ward

Patients in the surgery ward are at risk of morbidity and mortality from various types of treatment-related problems (TRPs). The primary aim of this study is to assess the impact of the clinical pharmacist in the identification and management of TRPs in the surgery ward.

Patients were randomly assigned to intervention (n=50) and usual care (n=50) arms. The clinical pharmacist assessed the types, frequencies, and clinical significance of TRPs for all recruited patients at baseline. Patients and treating surgeons in the intervention arm received recommendations concerning the identified TRPs, while the usual care arm did not. The number of TRPs was reevaluated at follow-up.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Admission for elective, urgent, or emergency surgery
• age 18 years or older
• Expected length of stay of 3 days or more in the general surgical ward or the SICU

Exclusion Criteria:

• Pregnancy, breastfeeding, drug or alcohol abuse, active malignancy, or admission for plastic surgery